1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a brush seal for sealing off the gap between a rotating and a stationary component, in which seal a plurality of radially inwardly running, elastically flexible brushes are held at one end in a basic body seated in a first of said components and bear sealingly at the other end on the annular other component, the brushes bearing, over their predominant longitudinal extent, on a guide plate, both the basic body and the guide plate being seated in a groove of one of the components.
2. Discussion of Background
A brush seal of th is type is known from GB-C 1,598,926. In this version, guide plates are provided o n both sides of the brushes, said guide plates at the same time forming the basic body in which the brushes are held. These brushes are fastened in the side plates by being welded at one of their ends to the side plates. In order to ensure that the brushes are moveable, one of the side plates is cut out for the purpose of forming an axial gap between plate and brush. This measure makes it possible to design the radial length of the two side plates so as to provide the least play permissible. One of the side plates is angled and serves for fastening the brush seal to the housing, fastening being carried out via rivets.
In another solution known from GB-A 2,066,382, the brushes are likewise welded at one of their ends to the side plates so as to form a solid block. The seal is held axially and radially in the housing by means of a ring having an external thread.
In these known embodiments, in so far as they are used in turbomachines, one of the side faces has the task of supporting the brush fibers counter to the force originating from the pressure on the high pressure side and of thereby keeping sealing losses lower. The higher the pressure on the high pressure side, the smaller the gap must be between the side wall and the opposite component, so that the brushes, that is to say the fibers forming them, do not spring back too far and thus result in too large a sealing gap. In such brush seals, it is not permissible to fall short of a play which is necessary due to the installation conditions or to the thermal and rotor-dynamic circumstances.
The object on which the invention is based, in a brush seal of the initially mentioned type, is to provide a simple and space-saving fastening.
This is achieved, according to the invention, by holding both the basic body and the guide plate in their mutual position by means of a wire mortised into the groove.